Cooling module for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A cooling module for a vehicle may include a radiator that is disposed at a front side of a vehicle and exchanges heat with ambient air to cool coolant that flows therein, a first condenser in which refrigerant flows through a refrigerant pipe and that is disposed in the radiator and exchanges heat with the coolant flowing in the radiator to condense the coolant, and a second condenser that is connected to the first condenser through a refrigerant pipe, the refrigerant that is condensed by the first condenser flowing therein, and is disposed at a front side of the radiator and exchanges heat with ambient air to further condense the refrigerant.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority of Korean Patent Application Number 10-2012-0145730 filed Dec. 13, 2012, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a cooling module for a vehicle, including a radiator for cooling a coolant.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, an air conditioning system for a vehicle maintains a suitable cabin temperature regardless of ambient temperature, and realizes a comfortable indoor environment.

Such an air conditioning system includes a compressor compressing a refrigerant, a condenser condensing and liquefying the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, an expansion valve quickly expanding the refrigerant condensed and liquefied by the condenser, and an evaporator evaporating the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve and using evaporation latent heat for cooling air which is supplied to the cabin in which the air conditioning system is installed.

However, when a coolant condenser is applied to condense the refrigerant in a conventional air conditioning system as described above, the coolant is cooled by the condenser and the refrigerant temperature of the outlet of the condenser is increased, and therefore there is a problem that the power consumption is increased.

Also, because heat capacity of the coolant condenser is larger than that of an air cooled condenser, the condensing pressure is reduced, and because a temperature difference between the coolant and the refrigerant is small and the coolant temperature is higher compared with ambient air, it is hard to realize subcooling and therefore there is a drawback that overall cooling performance is deteriorated.

A large capacity cooling fan and radiator are necessary so as to prevent this, so the layout becomes disadvantageous in a narrow engine compartment and there is a drawback that overall weight and cost are increased.

Also, a coolant condenser that is disposed in a narrow engine compartment is to be disposed at a rear side of a fender or an engine compartment and it is hard to secure a space, and therefore the layout and the piping thereof are complicated, the assembly and mounting characteristics are deteriorated, the performance is deteriorated by the heat of the engine compartment, and the flow resistance of the coolant is increased to increase the power consumption of the compressor.

Further, in an environmentally friendly vehicle having a motor, an electric power component, and a stack, the coolant cools the constituent elements and then is supplied to the condenser and the temperature thereof is increased, and therefore there is a problem that the condensing capacity of the coolant is deteriorated.

The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of Various aspects of the present invention provide for a cooling module for a vehicle having advantages of improving performance of a radiator in which a coolant cooling method and an air cooling method are applied to condense a refrigerant.

Various aspects of the present invention provide for a cooling module for a vehicle that may include a radiator that is disposed at a front side of a vehicle and exchanges heat with ambient air to cool coolant that flows therein, a first condenser in which refrigerant flows through a refrigerant pipe and that is disposed in the radiator and exchanges heat with the coolant flowing in the radiator to condense the coolant, and a second condenser that is connected to the first condenser through a refrigerant pipe, the refrigerant that is condensed by the first condenser flowing therein, and is disposed at a front side of the radiator and exchanges heat with ambient air to further condense the refrigerant.

The radiator may include a first header tank in which an inlet is formed to receive coolant, a second header tank that is disposed to be spaced apart from the first header tank and in which an outlet is formed to exhaust the coolant, and a plurality of tubes that connect the first header tank with the second header tank are spaced from each other in a length direction of the first and second header tanks, and a heat radiating fin is disposed between them.

The inlet and the outlet that are respectively formed on the first header tank and the second header tank may be disposed at opposite sides from each other.

The first condenser may be disposed in the second header tank.

The first condenser may include an inflow tank that is disposed at one side of an inside of the second header tank and is connected to the refrigerant pipe at an outside of the second header tank through a refrigerant inlet receiving refrigerant, an exhaust tank that is disposed at an inside of the second header tank at a distance from the inflow tank and is connected to the refrigerant pipe at an outside of the second header tank through a refrigerant outlet exhausting refrigerant, a first connection tank and a second connection tank that are disposed at the other side of an inside the second header tank to correspond to the inflow tank and the exhaust tank and are connected through a connection pipe, and a plurality of refrigerant flow tubes that connect the inflow tank and the exhaust tank with the first connection tank and the second connection tank.

A plurality of the refrigerant flow tubes may include a plurality of barriers that are disposed at a uniform distance from each other along the length direction of the inflow tank, the exhaust tank, and the first and second connection tanks, and are alternatively disposed in a crossing manner along the length direction of the refrigerant flow tube to change flow direction of coolant flowing the second header tank.

A heat radiating fin may be disposed between the refrigerant flow tubes.

The second condenser may be disposed at a front upper portion of the radiator in a length direction.

The second condenser may include a fin-tube type of heat exchanger.

A receiver driver that is disposed on a refrigerant pipe that connects the first condenser with the second condenser in a width direction of a vehicle to separate gaseous refrigerant remaining in the condensed refrigerant that is exhausted from the first condenser may be disposed on the radiator.

The first condenser may be connected to the second condenser in series through the receiver drier.

As described above, a cooling module for a vehicle according to various aspects of the present invention applies a coolant cooling type and an air cooling type to condense refrigerant, and therefore condensing pressure is reduced, condensing performance of refrigerant is improved to improve cooling performance, and simultaneously package performance is improved by incorporating them in a radiator.

Also, because the condensing pressure of refrigerant is reduced and the condensing performance is improved, power consumption of a compressor is reduced and fuel consumption efficiency is improved.

In addition, because a first condenser that exchanges heat with coolant is disposed in a header tank that is disposed at a lower portion of a radiator, cooled coolant efficiently exchanges heat with refrigerant, the layout of narrow engine compartment becomes simple, space utilization is improved, and weight and manufacturing cost are reduced.

The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a projective perspective view of an exemplary cooling module for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a projective front view of an exemplary cooling module for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a Part of FIG. 1 and a projective perspective view of a second head tank that is applied to a cooling module for a vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a flow route of a coolant passing through the second header tank and a flow route of a first condenser of an exemplary cooling module for a vehicle according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

Also, terms “ . . . unit”, “ . . . means”, “ . . . portion”, and “ . . . element” that are mentioned in the specification signify units of comprehensive configuration that performs at least one function or operation.

FIG. 1 is a projective perspective view of a cooling module for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a projective front view of a cooling module for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a Part of FIG. 1 and a projective perspective view of a second head tank that is applied to a cooling module for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows a flow route of a coolant passing the second header tank and a flow route of a first condenser of a cooling module for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a cooling module 100 for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention applies a coolant cooling type and an air cooling type to condense a refrigerant, and therefore condensing pressure is reduced, condensing performance of refrigerant is improved to improve cooling performance, and simultaneously package performance is improved by incorporating them in a radiator 110.

For this, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cooling module 100 for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention includes a radiator 110, a first condenser 120, and a second condenser 130.

Firstly, the radiator 110 is disposed at a front side of a vehicle, and coolant flows in the radiator 110 to be cooled by exchanging heat with ambient air.

A cooling fan can be disposed at a rear side of the radiator 110. The cooling fan makes ambient air flow through the radiator 110 to cool the radiator 110.

Here, the radiator 110 includes a first header tank 112 in which an inlet 111 is formed to receive a coolant, a second header tank 114 that is disposed at a predetermined distance from the first header tank 112, and an outlet 113 that is formed to exhaust the coolant, and a plurality of tubes 116 that connect the first header tank 112 with the second header tank 114 are spaced apart from each other along the length direction of the first and second header tanks 112 and 114 and include heat radiating fins (P) is disposed between them.

Here, the inlet 111 and the outlet 113 that are respectively formed in the first header tank 112 and the second header tank 114 are formed in opposite directions from each other.

The radiator 110 is fin-tube type of heat exchanger, wherein the coolant that flows in the first header tank 112 is supplied to the second header tank 114 through the tube 116 to be cooled by ambient air flowing through the tube 116.

In this process, the heat radiating fins (P) are disposed between the tubes 116 to radiate heat that is transferred from the coolant flowing in the tube 116 to the outside.

Meanwhile, it is described that the first and second header tanks 112 and 114 are respectively disposed at an upper side and a lower side of the radiator 110 in various embodiments, but it is not limited thereto, and the first and second header tanks 112 and 114 can be disposed at respective sides of the radiator 110 along the width direction of a vehicle to be connected with each other through the tube 116.

In various embodiments, refrigerant flows into the first condenser 120 through a refrigerant pipe 121, and the first condenser 120 that is disposed in the radiator 110 condenses refrigerant through heat exchange with coolant flowing through the radiator 110.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first condenser 120 can be disposed in the second header tank 114 of the radiator 110.

The first condenser 120 includes an inflow tank 122, an exhaust tank 123, first and second connection tanks 124 and 125, and a plurality of refrigerant flow tubes 127.

The inflow tank 122 is disposed in the second header tank 114 to be connected to the refrigerant pipe 121 through a refrigerant inlet 122 a receiving refrigerant from outside the second header tank 114.

The exhaust tank 123 is disposed at an upper side of the inflow tank 122 in the second header tank 114 to be connected to the refrigerant pipe 121 through a refrigerant outlet 123 a exhausting refrigerant outside the second header tank 114.

In various embodiments, the first and second connection tanks 124 and 125 that correspond to the inflow tank 122 and the exhaust tank 123 are respectively disposed at an upper side and a various embodiments side of the other side in the second header tank 114 to be connected with each other through a connection pipe 126.

Further, a plurality of the refrigerant flow tubes 127 respectively connect the inflow tank 122 and the exhaust tank 123 with the first and second connection tanks 124 and 125.

Here, each refrigerant flow tube 127 can connect the inflow tank 122 with the second connection tank 125 and can connect the exhaust tank 123 with the first connection tank 124.

Also, a plurality of the refrigerant flow tubes 127 can be arranged along the length direction of the inflow tank 122, the exhaust tank 123, and the first and second connection tanks 124 and 125 at equal predetermined distances.

A plurality of barriers 128 that are alternatively disposed in a crossing manner on each refrigerant flow tube 127 to change the flowing direction of the coolant in the second header tank 114, wherein one barrier 128 is formed from an upper side to a lower side in the refrigerant flow tube 127 and the other barrier 128 near the one barrier 128 is extended from a lower side to an upper side on the refrigerant flow tube 127.

As shown in FIG. 4, each barrier 128 is alternatively disposed at an upper side and a lower side of each refrigerant flow tube 127 in a crossing manner, and the coolant that is cooled by flowing in each tube 116 flows into the second header tank 114 to be exhausted through the outlet 113 of the second header tank 114, and while the coolant is flowing in the second header tank 114, it flows upward and downward repeatedly.

Accordingly, when the refrigerant passes each refrigerant flow tube 127 of the first condenser 120, the contact area is increased to improve the condensing efficiency.

Heat radiating fins (P) that are disposed between the refrigerant flow tubes 127 effectively radiate the heat that is transferred from the refrigerant flowing therein to the coolant flowing in the second header tank 114.

Meanwhile, it is described that the first condenser 120 is disposed in the second header tank 114 that is disposed at a lower portion of the first header tank 112 in various embodiments, but it is not limited thereto, and in a case in which a crossflow type in which the header tanks 112 and 114 are disposed at opposite sides of a radiator 110 is applied to this invention, one of condensers can be disposed in a header that receives cooled coolant.

Also, the barrier 128 is disposed at an upper side and a lower side of the refrigerant flow tube 127 in a crossing manner as described in the drawings in various embodiments, but it is not limited thereto, and the position of the barrier 128 can be changed according to the disposition direction of the refrigerant flow tube 127 and the flow direction of the coolant.

Further, the second condenser 130 is connected to the first condenser 120 through the refrigerant pipe 121, condensed refrigerant flows into the first condenser 120 that is disposed at a front side of the radiator 110, and the refrigerant is further condensed by the first condenser 120 through heat exchange with ambient air.

Here, the second condenser 130 can be a fin-tube type as a heat exchanger, and can be disposed in a length direction at an upper side of a front side of the radiator 110.

Meanwhile, a receiver drier 140 can be disposed on the radiator 110 in various embodiments, and the receiver drier 140 is disposed on the refrigerant pipe 121 that connects the first condenser 120 with the second condenser 130 at one side in a width direction of a vehicle to separate gaseous refrigerant from condensed refrigerant that is exhausted from the first condenser 120.

Here, the first condenser 120 is connected to the second condenser 130 in series through the receiver drier 140.

Accordingly, the condensed refrigerant that is exhausted from the first condenser 120 and passes the receiver drier 140 flows into the second condenser 130, and the second condenser 130 further condenses the refrigerant through heat exchange with ambient air.

In various embodiments, it is described that the receiver drier 140 is disposed at one side of the radiator in a width direction of a vehicle, but it is not limited thereto, and the receiver drier 140 can be integrally disposed at one side of the second condenser 130.

That is, the first condenser 120 is a coolant cooling type in which refrigerant is cooled by water as coolant in various embodiments, and the second condenser 130 is an air cooling type in which refrigerant is cooled by ambient air.

Accordingly, the first condenser 120 that is a water cooling type uses coolant of which a heat transfer coefficient is larger than that of ambient air to cool refrigerant, and therefore condensing pressure can be reduced therein.

Also, the second condenser 130 that is an air cooling type receives liquid state refrigerant that is condensed by the first condenser 120 through the receiver drier 140 to cool the liquefied refrigerant, and therefore the temperature difference between ambient air and the refrigerant is increased to be able to realize subcooling and the heat transfer amount of the refrigerant pipe 121 is reduced.

As described above, a cooling module 100 for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention efficiently uses advantageous points such as a condensing pressure reduction that is a merit of the coolant cooling type and the subcooling that is a merit of the air cooling type, wherein the first and second condensers 120 and 130 that complement their drawbacks are integrally formed at a front side of the radiator 110 and in the second header tank 114 such that overall size is reduced and space usability is improved in a narrow engine compartment.

Meanwhile, in a description of a cooling module for a vehicle 100 according to various embodiments of the present invention, it is described that the second condenser 130 is connected to the first condenser 120 through the receiver drier 140 as various embodiments, but it is not limited thereto.

That is, the layout of the refrigerant pipe 121 is changed such that the second condenser 130 directly receives mixed refrigerant of liquid and gas from the first condenser 120 to condense the refrigerant, the condensed refrigerant is supplied to the receiver drier 140, and the second condenser 130 receives the refrigerant from the receiver driver 140 again to further condense the liquid refrigerant that is separated by the receiver drier 140.

Also, the interior room of the second condenser 130 can be divided into at least two portions such that the refrigerant is sequentially condensed depending on the condition of refrigerant to improve the condensing efficiency.

Accordingly, a cooling module 100 for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention applies a coolant cooling type and an air cooling type to condense refrigerant, and therefore condensing pressure is reduced, condensing performance of refrigerant is improved to improve cooling performance, and simultaneously package performance is improved by incorporating them in a radiator 110.

Also, because the condensing pressure of the refrigerant is reduced and the condensing performance is improved, power consumption of a compressor is reduced and fuel consumption efficiency is improved.

In addition, because a first condenser 120 that exchanges heat with coolant is disposed in a header tank 114 that is disposed at a lower portion of a radiator 110, cooled coolant efficiently exchanges heat with refrigerant, the layout of a narrow engine compartment becomes simple, space utilization is improved, and weight and manufacturing cost are reduced.

For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms upper or lower, front, and etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in the figures.

The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooling module for a vehicle, comprising: a radiator disposed at a front end of a vehicle exchanging heat with ambient air to cool coolant that flows therein; a first condenser through which refrigerant flows including a first refrigerant flow tube disposed in the radiator exchanging heat with the coolant flowing in the radiator to condense the coolant; and a second condenser operably connected to the first condenser by a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant condensed by the first condenser flows, the second condenser disposed at a front side of the radiator exchanging heat with ambient air to further condense the refrigerant.
 2. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the radiator includes: a first header tank in which an inlet is formed to receive coolant; a second header tank spaced from the first header tank and in which an outlet is formed to exhaust the coolant; and a plurality of tubes connecting the first header tank with the second header tank are spaced from each other in a length direction of the first and second header tanks, and a heat radiating fin is disposed between the plurality of tubes.
 3. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the inlet and the outlet respectively formed on the first header tank and the second header tank are disposed at opposite sides from each other.
 4. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the first condenser is disposed in the second header tank.
 5. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 4, wherein the first condenser includes: an inflow tank at one side of an inside of the second header tank connected to the refrigerant pipe at an outside of the second header tank through a refrigerant inlet receiving refrigerant; an exhaust tank at an inside of the second header tank at a distance from the inflow tank connected to the refrigerant pipe at an outside of the second header tank through a refrigerant outlet exhausting refrigerant; a first connection tank and a second connection tank disposed at the other side of an inside the second header tank to correspond to the inflow tank and the exhaust tank and are connected through a connection pipe; and a plurality of refrigerant flow tubes connecting the inflow tank and the exhaust tank with the first connection tank and the second connection tank.
 6. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein a plurality of the refrigerant flow tubes include a plurality of barriers disposed at a uniform distance from each other along the length direction of the inflow tank, the exhaust tank, and the first and second connection tanks, and are alternatively disposed in a crossing manner along the length direction of the refrigerant flow tube to change flow direction of coolant flowing the second header tank.
 7. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein a heat radiating fin is disposed between the refrigerant flow tubes.
 8. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 2, wherein the second condenser is disposed at a front upper portion of the radiator in a length direction.
 9. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the second condenser includes a fin-tube type of heat exchanger.
 10. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a receiver driver disposed on a refrigerant pipe connects the first condenser with the second condenser in a width direction of a vehicle to separate gaseous refrigerant remaining in the condensed refrigerant exhausted from the first condenser is disposed on the radiator.
 11. A cooling module for a vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first condenser is connected to the second condenser in series through the receiver drier. 